Outsider hire may aid reform at commuter agency, experts say

It was a history-making week for Metra: For the first time in its 27 years, the commuter rail line had to shut down lines because of the weather. And for the first time in more than 20 years, it hired a new boss.

As swiftly as the Blizzard of 2011 swept into Chicago, forcing Metra to a halt, Alex Clifford came to town Tuesday from Los Angeles, offering a blue-skies promise of improved service, a better ridership experience and transparent management.

The question is, will the 51-year-old ex-Marine be up to the challenge of bringing the nation's second-largest commuter rail line fully into the 21st century, overcoming a scandal involving its former chief, and keeping trains running safely and on-time, in fair weather and foul?

And will the decision by Metra's directors to bring in an outsider as executive director and CEO pay off?

Harry Kraemer, a former CEO and current professor at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, says success requires a delicate balance of old and new leadership.

"When you bring someone in, you get somebody who can create change quicker," Kraemer said. "They are willing to break some glass, so to speak, because they want to get things done. They're not encumbered."

For the last 10 years, Clifford has held posts with Los Angeles County's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, known as Metro. Most recently, Clifford helped coordinate the launch of high-speed rail service in the county.

But Clifford's management experience comes from running a county bus agency, not a railroad. He cites his success in managing a $128 million budget and overseeing 1,040 employees. On his resume, he notes that his fleet of 457 buses consistently achieved "the best on-time performance in the agency."

At his appointment Tuesday, Clifford said his priorities centered on passenger satisfaction and safety, fiscal responsibility and reforming Metra.

He promised to bring "analytic thinking and strategic planning" to the job. "My track record is managing to budget and overseeing successful capital programs."

His first step was to post a survey on Metra's website, asking riders — and nonriders — their thoughts on easier ticket-buying, more "quiet cars" and adding Wi-Fi.

Clifford was selected from a field of 52 applicants, and Metra's search firm solicited candidates from the nation's top 20 transit agencies.

While Metra directors didn't hire a veteran railroader, they said they already have one. Operations chief Bill Tupper has been at Metra from its start and was acting executive director. He'll be Clifford's deputy.

Even though Tupper didn't get the top job, directors increased his pay by 34 percent, to $235,000 from $175,000, and made it retroactive for the past nine months. Doris said Tupper deserved it for leading Metra after the scandal involving former Executive Director Phil Pagano.

Pagano's downfall came after he forged two memos seeking to get advances on 11 weeks of vacation pay. A special prosecutor determined that Pagano took $475,000 in unapproved vacation pay.

On the verge of being fired by directors, Pagano committed suicide May 7 by walking in front of a Metra train.

With a three-year contract, Clifford will make $252,500 a year. Doris was careful to note that Clifford will receive only "usual and customary" benefits, unlike Pagano.

DePaul University transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman said bringing in an outsider to run Metra is necessary to change Metra's culture, which was dominated by Pagano's one-man style of leadership.

Steve Schlickman, who led the Regional Transportation Authority for the last five years, agreed that bringing Clifford on board appeared to show Metra's directors were serious about changing the agency.

"They want to start fresh with a leader who is new to the region," Schlickman said.

Clifford will need to be a quick study, Schlickman cautioned, because of Chicago's overlapping and competitive network of transportation agencies, with four boards of directors. State and local politics also will pose a stiff learning curve, he said.

Richard Katz, a member of Los Angeles' Metro board, said he believes Clifford will adjust quickly because of his transportation expertise and his political acumen from eight years as a city councilman in Riverside, Calif.

"He has a unique skill set," Katz said.

Clifford also brings a working knowledge of critical rail issues, Katz said, adding that Clifford was involved in improving Metrolink safety since a 2008 crash in Chatsworth, Calif., that killed 25 people.

Kirk Hartley, an attorney who was active in promoting improved service on Metra's Heritage Corridor line, called on Clifford to focus more of Metra's attention on the south suburbs, which he contends have been underserved compared with the west and north.

Hartley also said he was delighted to see Metra's website survey, adding that he hopes Clifford will "teach Metra how to quickly and accurately communicate with its customers when there are delays."

"Hopefully," Hartley said, "Clifford quickly cleans house of the deadwood and instills a spirit of urgency to get better."